Archive for February, 2010

We’re shooting a music video for “Too Damn Tough” next weekend. You want to be in it? We need the first 100 people who want to be a part of it to hit us up now bfoundation@gmail.com. We’ll provide food, drinks, music! Gotta be in LA all day Sunday next week!

The Pier is proud to launch the world premiere of Aivar’s new single – 17! That’s right – you can hear it at The Pier first! We got to say it is a pretty sweet track!

This San Jose band’s reggae foundation fluidly blends rock, ska, funk, blues, and folk music together to create the positively charged unique sound. Aivar has already shared the stage with Eek-A-Mouse, The English Beat, The Supervillains, Sashamon, Tomorrows Bad Seeds and Iration, just to name a few.

To find out more information about Aivar, CLICK HERE to check out its MySpace page.

There is definitely a few solid album release planned for this month, ahead of the April album release explosion (check our upcoming releases for 4/20). These are the “must-buys” for March:

Iration – Time Bomb – 3/16

Dropping on Law Records this has to be one of the most eagerly awaited albums for 2010. Why? The six or so tracks that have already been made available to the public are pretty amazing. This could be a big year for these Hawaiian lads.

Tatanka – Sounds in Technicolor – 3/16

As featured on The Pier Exposed album, this three-piece from Colorado is already turning heads. Having already had a chance to hear the EP, The Pier can you tell you, this will certainly fulfill your dub rock needs.

Mishka – Talk About – 3/30

Not wasting anytime, Mishka follow-ups last year’s album Above the Bones with Talk About. The album features 13 tracks, two of which were produced by super producer Butch Walker. Look for a review next week on The Pier.

Hightimes Magazine has just informed us that Lionize’s Space Pope and the Glass Machine has been nominated for Best Reggae/Soul Record of the year, up against: Matisyahu, Tarrus Riley and Easy Star AllStars. We’ve been nominated for Best Underground artist as well.

We have been invited to play the Official Hightimes SxSw (South by Southwest festival) Doobie Awards party at 12pm at Emo’s on March 21st.

This is great news for us, and of course the genre.

Also, our newest record has come to completion, and it features guest spots by David Hinds of Steel Pulse, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 and Ulises Bella from Ozomatli. Expect this record out sometime this year on a very cool label!

CLICK HERE to check out the band’s upcoming Tour Dates with Nebula and Streetlight Manifesto.

The Pier had a chance to speak w/Casey, singer/guitarist of the Orange County, CA based group Seedless, earlier this week to get some updates regarding their new upcoming album release. Check out the info below!

Slightly Stoopid is celebrating 420 in one of the biggest party towns in the U.S. – Austin, TX at Stubb’s! The band is running a pre-sale only offered to the Stoopid fan community. All pre-sale orders will include a free commemorative Austin 420 poster (above) for you to take home as a souvenir to remember what you might have forgotten. To order your tickets and poster, click HERE and enter the password 420STOOPID.

The poster will only be available through this pre-sale that ends Saturday at 10:00am CST.

Joining Stoopid for the madness is Del Tha Funky Homosapien. Don’t forget to check out the brand new interview with Slightly Stoopid right here at The Pier!

CLICK HERE to read a new LA Times interview with the Sublime and Rome. The article mentions the band will kick off with a string of small shows starting April 20 at the Hollywood Palladium. Dirty Heads will be support on all dates.

New York’s eclectic sextet The Slackers will make their triumphant return to usher in the next chapter of ska with the release of The Great Rocksteady Swindle on April 20 via Hellcat Records. The band’s first single, “Anastasia,” can be downloaded for free now on Hell-Cat.com.

“We’re trying to make music last, something that you want to listen to years from now. We’ve never really been part of a trend. We’ve always been on the edge of different trends,” explains sax player Dave Hillyard. “It’s one reason why we haven’t gotten hugely famous but also one of the reasons why we’ve stuck around so long.”

I am lucky enough to be sitting back-stage at the Showbox in Seattle with Slightly Stoopid vocalist/guitarist/bassist – Miles Doughty. In the background I can hear opening act The Aggrolites doing its funky sound-check. There is certainly a heavy anticipation in the air tonight for this sold-out Thursday evening show. It has been a while since Miles has checked in with The Pier so we have a lot to catch up on!

San Diego’s High Tide will be releasing its new album, Rooted, on April 20. The band will also be playing a CD release show on that date with Pato Banton and Barrington Levy for Seedless Clothing’s 10th year anniversary party at House of Blues in San Diego.

In mid to late June, High Tide will be starting a West Coast and Mid West tour. look for the upcoming dates here at The Pier.